Synthesis and properties of UV-curable star-shaped polyester

UV-curable coatings mainly include vinyl resin, active thinner, and photoinitiator, among which UV-curable resin accounts for a large proportion and is the main factor that determines the film performance. Existing vinyl resins have the disadvantages of high viscosity, high cost, and low curable function. Herein, the polyol as the core, first reacted with anhydride to produce half ester, and then with glycolyl methacrylate ring opening to get vinyl star polyester. The molecular structure and molecular weight of UV-curable star polyesters were analyzed using FTIR, H-1 NMR, and GPC. The impact of the type and ratio of anhydride and small molecular polyols on the viscosity and coating properties of vinyl star polyester were investigated. The results indicated that the resin viscosity and film hardness increased as the hydroxyl function of small molecular polyols increased. It was also discovered that the inclusion of polyether polyol N210 in the reaction system reduced the viscosity of the resin to 2025 mPa s and improved the hardness of the film to 2H, as well as its impact toughness.